The Record takes a look at five other cases where the so called punishment part of the life sentence was more severe:

James McDonald & Raymond Anderson (Image: PA)

RAYMOND ANDERSON & JAMES McDONALD

The gangland hitmen were handed record-breaking 35 year jail terms for the murder of Michael Lyons, 21, in a north Glasgow garage in 2006. Judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh later agreed that the punishment parts were too lengthy and reduced them to 30 years.

Colin Coats (left) and Philip Wade (right) (Image: PA)

COLIN COATS & PHILIP WADE

The thugs were both jailed for life in 2013 for abducting, torturing and murdering businesswoman Lynda Spence, whose body has never been found. Coats was jailed for a minimum of 33 years and Wade was told he must serve 30 years.

Malcolm Webster (Image: PA)

MALCOLM WEBSTER

In 2011 the former nurse was caged for 30 years for the murder of his first wife, Claire Morris, in 1994. Webster was also convicted of staging a similar attempt to murder his second wife in New Zealand in 1999.

Abdelbaset al-Megrahi (Image: PA)

ABDELBASET AL-MEGRAHI

The Libyan was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, which claimed 270 lives. Al-Megrahi was freed on compassionate grounds in 2009, eight years after he was convicted, and died of cancer at his home in Tripoli in May 2012.

Marek Harcar (Image: PA)

MAREK HARCAR

The Slovakian was jailed for a minimum of 25 years for in 2009 for the rape and murder of businesswoman Moira Jones, 40, in Queen’s Park, Glasgow. Last month we revealed he has been transferred to the State Hospital at Carstairs.